


Broken Wing (Loki Fanfiction)

by Aura_Wolf_Writes



Category: Loki - Fandom, Marvel Cinematic Universe, OC - Fandom, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-18
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2020-12-22 21:46:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21083582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aura_Wolf_Writes/pseuds/Aura_Wolf_Writes
Summary: *Some Endgame Spoliers in book. Read at your own risk.*Ekaterina Akay is a student of the Academy of Magic run by King Loki himself. When she graduates at the top of her class, she is summoned to the palace to work personally with the king. Fame and glory await her, if she can stand being in the king's presence.What starts as mutual interest slowly becomes something more, and the nine realms will never be the same because of it.





	1. Authors Note

Hello all, this is my first published work on AO3. I have many other works on my Wattpad, AuraWolf1415.

*Endgame Spoiler ahead* So, I saw this theory that when Loki took the Tesseract in Endgame, he created a branch of reality. So this story runs on that theory.  
In this new reality, Loki defeats the Avengers, conquers all the nine realms, becomes King, and defeats Thanos.  
Ekaterina Akay is the adopted daughter of an Asgardian noble family. She was born on Midgard, but her family was killed when Loki conquered Earth. When she was adopted, she became Asgardian.  
I'm going to kind of blatantly ignore both Norse Mythology and the plots of the Marvel movies, because this is it's own world.   
There is no room for Endgame or Infinity War sadness in my world of denial :-)  
I hope you all enjoy this book. Friendly reminder that I don't do outright smut content. There will definitely be some PG-13 moments, but nothing more. Don't go complaining in the comment section about this.   
With that, please enjoy this little self indulgent fanfic of mine.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Endgame Spoilers in this chapter*

The world has been like this for as long as I can remember. Magicians and scientists alike agreed that when Loki took back the Tesseract after the Battle of New York, a branch in reality was created. We don't know what the original reality is like, but in this one, Loki used the Tesseract to defeat the Avengers and conquer the nine realms, declaring himself King. When Thanos came for the Tesseract not long after, Loki defeated him.   
When Loki conquered Earth, or Midgard, he left destruction in his path. I was born on Midgard, but my parents were killed. So, I was adopted by an Asgardian noble family. They named me Ekaterina, after the old Midgardian queen. History books say she was strong. They called her "The Great". My parents said that I was strong and was a fighter.   
I showed promise in magic at an early age, so I was enrolled in the King's Academy of Magic. Very prestigious. Tomorrow, I will graduate at the top of my class After that, who knows.

"Good morning mistress." A pair of voices greeted me as the sun streamed into my window. "We have been instructed to get you ready for the ceremony." My maids. My response to them was a yawn, as I tugged down the sleeve of my nightgown. I rolled out of my bed and led myself be led to my tub. The water was warm, and had small flowers floating in it. Likely jasmine. I enjoyed the warm water, while the maids washed my hair with floral smelling soaps. Then I washed my body.

When I was signaled to, I stepped out of the tub and let my maids dry me. By this point I was awake. I put on my under garments, then my maids helped me into a simple grey dress. The dress was long sleeved, had pockets, and had gold detailing on the sleeves and near the bottom. I slipped on a pair of shoes, then sat down at my vanity, where my maids braided my hair in two separate braids that went straight down my back. My burgundy hair matched well with the grey of the dress. 

My maids tried to put makeup on me, but I told them there was no need. “Not even mascara for the king?” one of them asked.  
“No, not even that,” I replied. 

I left my room and went into the dining room to grab some breakfast. My mother was there, sipping a cup of tea. "Where is father?" I asked, sitting down to my usual breakfast of fruit and bread.   
"Gone to run errands. He said he needed a few things before his next trip.” I nodded. I knew he was due to leave again soon. “Happy graduation my dear," she said smiling, looking up at me.

"Thank you, mother." My mother is Cyne Akay. My father, Lothar Akay, is a merchant. He worked with the farmers on Midgard. My mother and father had been married many years and never been able to conceive a child, so when the wars ended, they adopted me as their daughter and heiress. 

"Your father and I wanted to give you this." She stood up and walked over to me, presenting a small box. "This was with you when you were found. We presume that it was your parents'." I opened the box and found a small ring that resembled a flying bird. It was silver and its eyes were small cuts of onyx. "We chose you partly because of this ring. Our house symbol is a bird, and we knew that when the time came, you could wear it as both a symbol of your past, and a symbol of your future."   
I slipped the ring on my finger; it fit perfectly. "We did have to have it resized for you." 

"Thank you, mother. I will always wear it," I said, standing and hugging her. Suddenly I heard a clock chiming. I pulled out of the hug. "I think it's time for me to go. I will see you later."

"Goodbye darling."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! First official chapter. What do you think so far? Off to a good start? Please give kudos and comment what you think. See you next chapter.


	3. Chapter 2

I hurried down the cobbled streets of the capital to the Academy. The hour was early, but not so early that there was no activity. Vendors hawked their goods to passersby. A few who I knew personally yelled short congratulations in my direction. 

I slowed my pace as I neared the steps of the Academy. The doors were open, and banners and spells signaled the graduation. My class was the first class that had completed all their years of schooling here. Because of this, the king would be personally attending, unlike the other years where he had only been present as an illusion.  
Nervousness entered my mind at this thought. As top of the class, I was expected to perform a demonstration of my magical skill. I had practiced but performing in front of the King was a whole different story. But, if I could impress him, I could be given a position in the palace. That was my dream. To work in the palace, to make a difference in the nine realms.  
Steeling my nerves, I opened the door to the area where the other graduates were waiting. I saw a few familiar faces, but I had never really made any friends with any of them. I echoed congratulations to anyone who wished them as I walked to my spot. When I reached my place, I stood and waited, mentally rehearsing the demonstration I had prepared. I didn't know how long it had been when a teacher came to lead us to the ceremony. Taking our places, we followed slowly behind the instructor and entered the room to the sound of the old Midgardian tune "Pomp and Circumstance". We took our seats as the song ended, and the head of the Academy took the stage. The pounding of my heart was so loud I couldn't hear what was said. But it was probably long and boring. I looked around for my parents to calm my nerves. I found them, sitting on my side several rows up. My mother and father were smiling softly listening to the speech.   
I dared to look up at the teachers on the stand. At one point or other I had been in all their classes, from the most basic to the most advanced. Then I saw, sitting in a throne right behind the podium was the king. Loki. My first thought was who has a portable throne? My second thought was on his appearance.  
Though I had never seen him in person till this moment, I had heard stories about his looks. He had green eyes that matched the color of his green armor. There was gold in the armor too, and it contrasted his eyes, made them stand out. His crown was gold too, a modified version of his horned helmet. His hair was dark black with a bit of a wave to it and was both slicked back and unkempt at the same time. And with his chin resting on his hand, he was looking right at me.   
Not knowing what to do, I quickly looked away, blushing slightly. I didn't dare to look back and him, for fear he was still staring at me. The rest of the ceremony past uneventfully, until I heard my name called.

"The top of this year’s class, Ekaterina Akay, will now perform a demonstration of her skills." This was it. Slowly I stood and walked to the area on the stage that had been prepared for me. I took deep breaths as I bowed to the teachers, and to the king.  
No turning back now. Barely uttering any words, I smirked as people yelped in surprise as my duplicates began appearing around the room. Any easy illusion. I summoned a flame in my palm, as did all the duplicates. I launched it towards the center of the room, and midair, it became a dove. That one was a bit more difficult, turning one object into another, and having all my duplicates do the same. I uttered a few quick words, and with a slight gesture, when the birds met in the center, they collided, and there was a bright flash of light. A shower of sparkles rained down onto the crowd below. To the sound of applause, each duplicate caught fire and vanished, till I was the only me left in the room. I bowed to the crowd, and again to the people on the stand. When I looked up, I could see that the king was again staring at me, intrigue in his eyes. 

The rest of the ceremony was again, uneventful. As I stood after the closing remarks, I could again see King Loki looking at me. But this time, I was brave enough to look back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ta da (ehehe Thor: Dark World reference)! What do you think? Did she put on a good show? We'll get to see more of her power through out the book.  
I did a graduation scene because when I originally wrote this, I was graduating. Keep reading and enjoying.   
See you next chapter.


	4. Chapter 3

It had been a couple of days since the graduation, and I had not heard word from the place. Not like I expected to, but in a way I did. The Academy was hiring new teachers, and so I decided that if I did not hear anything in a weeks' time, I would apply there.  
I came back to the house from my errands about midday. My father was away on a trip and had taken my mother with him. All the servants were running errands or doing other chores. 

"For the child of an Asgardian noble family, you're a difficult person to track down Miss Akay," spoke a voice from the dark sitting area. 

"Who's there?" came my shaky reply. I summoned a light in my palm and cast it into the chandelier. There, sitting on a couch was-  
"King Loki!" I dropped quickly into a curtsy. 

"Rise." I did. "I was very impressed by your demonstration at the graduation ceremony a few days ago. I sent men to ask your teachers and classmates where you lived, but none of them seemed to know. So, I when to the citizen records and found your family name. Really should have done that first." He said a this idlily, lounging on the couch, but never breaking eye contact.

"You were impressed?" I managed to squeak out.

"Of course. Who wouldn't be. But you could have done more." He shifted, turning to look at me dead on. "They call you "The woman Loki". My equal in magic."

"I have not heard this my king. I don't endeavor to think myself equal to you." I was nervous, speaking fast, and looking at the ground. 

"No, you are not. Not yet."

"Your highness?" I said, looking up.

"I have seen your abilities," he said standing. "I know that you were holding back at your performance." 

I opened my mouth to speak. But what could I say? He was right. I had been holding back. "I-"

"And don't say you weren't. I am the God of Lies. I can tell when a person lies." I shut my mouth. 

"Today I offer you the chance of a lifetime." He rose from the couch. Standing, he seemed to tower above me. "Come to the palace. You will work with me, train with me, and become all that you ever dreamed you could be and more."

My brain froze. This was what I wanted! Why couldn't my mouth form the words to say yes?! "How do I know you are sincere?" I dared to ask instead.   
His eyes blazed with anger for a bit, then quickly cooled into evident curiosity. "You have my word. As king, and as a god." He put out his hand. "I may be the god of lies, but in this I am sincere." I knew that. I could hear it in his voice and see it in his eyes. "Do you accept?" He asked again. 

I grabbed his hand, ignoring the electric shock between us. "I do." Wait. That hand was solid.

"Perfect." Then he vanished. All that remained was a letter floating in the air.

"Come to the palace in a week," the letter read. "Not a moment sooner or later."

Then I fainted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little cliche, but what do you think? They've finally met. What happens next? How will her parents react? Keep reading to find out.   
See you next chapter.


	5. Chapter 4

My parents reacted the same way anyone would when they found out that their child had been invited to work in the palace. Complete joy followed by sadness. Working and training in the palace meant that I would live in the palace. This clarification had come a few days after my initial encounter with the king. My parents knew this was what I wanted, what was best for me. But still, they were sad to see me go. I spent that last week with them as much as I could. 

Soon, the week was out. I had packed all my belongings and watched as they were shipped off to the palace. My maids, who I had been told could stay with me, accompanied my luggage. I fidgeted with the ring while I waited to be escorted to the palace. I was given the option for a carriage to be sent, but opted instead to ride my horse, Jazz, to the palace. She was a brown and white Clydesdale, named after my favorite type of Midgardian music. She had perked up this morning when I came in after her brushing with my riding clothes on, a white blouse, navy pants and jacket, and black boots, and prepared my saddle for her. Currently she was tied up in front of the house, waiting for it to be time to go. 

Using my magic, I made my gloves dance around each other like they were waltzing. It was a lazy trick, something I had picked up at the age of 5, when I first entered the academy. Once I had used it to practice, now it was something I did when I was bored.

A sharp knock at the door came, and I quickly stopped my gloves in midair. I put them on then went to the door. At the door stood a guard, and behind him I could see two more individuals on horseback. “Miss Akay, I am Fandral. We have been sent by the king to escort you to the palace. If you would follow me, we’ll be on our way.”

I nodded, then turned to my parents standing behind me. “I’ll miss you,” I said, hugging them.

“We will too darling,” my mother said.

“But this is what is the best path for you Kate, so you must follow it,” my father responded.

“I’ll try and visit as often as I can,” I said.

“We look forward to it,” my mother responded. 

With one last hug, I followed Fandral out the door. I untied Jazz and mounted. As we rode away, I waved to my parents for as long as I could see them.  
As we rode through the streets the three guards were quiet. It was the weekend, so many people were in their houses. Finally, I could not bear the silence. “You said your name was Fandral?” I asked speaking to the guard in front of me, who had knocked on the door. “Are you by chance the Warriors Three?” 

I heard a sharp intake of breath from one of them. “We have not heard that name in some time. Before Loki we were known by that name. Now we are just his top guards.”

“That’s not true,” I countered. “In the towns the people still know you. When you stopped that Frost giant uprising recently, they couldn’t stop talking about you.”

“Is that so? Well maybe we are then.”

“Well then let us introduce ourselves. You already know Fandral. I am Volstagg,” said the one to my left, “and to your right is Hogun.” He waved to me as we continued down the streets.

“I am Ekaterina,” I said, “but most people just call me Kate. I’m sure you already knew that though.”

“Ekaterina,” Fandral said thoughtfully. “After the great Midgardian queen. A good choice for a great magician,” he said turning to look at me. I blushed slightly, not being used to all the complementing. We chatted as we rode, until we reached the castle gates. They opened for us, and we rode in. Once inside, we dismounted, and some stable hands took our horses. 

“Follow us,” Volstagg spoke. “The king is waiting for you.” 

So I followed them through the long corridors of the palace. I was sure I would get lost in here if not for them. Soon we arrived at a set of huge, ornate wooded doors. “Go on in miss,” said Hogun. 

“Are you not coming in,” I asked.  
“No. We have other duties to attend to.” With that, they left me standing outside the door. Taking a deep breath, I put my hands on the door, and pushed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've introduced the Warriors Three in this chapter, but I won't be using them that much in the book, just mentions here and there. How will her meeting with Loki go? Keep reading to find out.  
See you next chapter.


	6. Chapter 5

The doors swung wide as I pushed them open. The heels of my boots clicked on the stone floor as I approached the throne. It was entirely made of gold, with a golden staircase leading up to it, gold wings off the side, and a golden wall behind it. The whole thing had intricated details, symbols, and depictions. 

And there in the center of it all sat King Loki. He was wearing the same armor that he had been wearing at the graduation. Black pants and boots, with a golden chest plate on top of a green shirt, with a green cape. He also wore the same crown. 

I stopped a few feet from the base of the stairs and curtsied. “Congratulations Miss Akay you passed your first test.” He rose from the throne. “You showed up on time.” I said nothing. I was too nervous to speak. “From this moment on, I take you on as my student. I will train you in all the ways of magic. I will also train you in physical combat.” He slowly walked down the stairs towards me. “If you do not meet my expectations, I will not hesitate to dismiss you. Do you understand?”

“Yes, my king. It is an honor to learn from you. I will not disappoint.”

“We shall see. Come,” he said sweeping past me. Hurriedly, I followed him out of the throne room, and down halls. “These will be your quarters,” he said when we stopped, pushing open a set of wooden doors. The inside of the room was almost twice the size of my room at home, with a sitting area, and doors leading off to the closet and bathroom. The bed was twice the size as well, a wooden four-poster bed with dark blue sheets and a black comforter. “You will have the rest of the morning to acquaint yourself with your quarters. A meal will be brought to you here for today. I expect you at the training grounds at noon. The guards will show you the way.” And with that, he left the room, leaving me on my own. 

For a while, I explored the room. The bathroom was enormous, with a tub and a shower, plus a separate area for the toilet, and a large vanity with all my makeup on it. All my clothes were in the closet, plus some. All my books and maps were neatly on a shelf in the sitting area. My maids had done a good job of organizing my belongings. 

I decided to take a quick shower, then change into something more suitable for training. I grabbed a pair of simple black pants, a green crop top, and some tennis shoes. Then I parted my hair into pigtails and braided it. 

I relaxed by reading for a short time before lunch was delivered. It was a simple meal of roast beef and potatoes. After I ate, I looked at the time and realized that there was not much time left until I had to be at the training grounds. The was a guard patrolling near my room, so I asked him to lead me to the training grounds.   
It was just before noon when I arrived there. Looking around, I saw that there was no one else there, in fact, the place looked nearly abandoned. I walked into the grass area, exploring. “I’d be careful what you touch,” I heard a voice say from behind me.

“My king! I’m sorry. I-“

“Think nothing of it,” he said, striding in. He was wearing the same black pants and shirt as earlier, just without the armor. “I have just set some traps for any soul unfortunate enough to chance upon my private training grounds.”

“Is that why they look abandoned?” I questioned.

“Yes. A mere illusion to discourage trespassers.” With a simple motion, he removed the illusion, and I could see that this area was actually well kept, with various training weapons on racks in the corner. 

“What weapons have you trained with before?” he asked, approaching the racks. 

“I learned how to fence at the Academy.”

“The rapier then. Interesting. I cannot say that you struck me as a swordsman. Very well.” He pulled a well-polished rapier of the rack and handed it to me. “As for me, I will fight with my usual weapon,” he said, materializing twin daggers from the air. 

Well if we were playing that game… Putting the sword back on the rack, I materialized my own. It was a standard swept hilt rapier, but the guard was formed by intricate coils, carved to appear like snakes. I saw him briefly raise an eyebrow, then return to his neutral expression. “Into starting position then.” We both took up our starting positions. “The rules of this exercise are simple. Disarm your opponent. No magic. I have, however, enchanted our blades so that we cannot actually do any harm to each other.”

I nodded. It seemed fair enough. “Ready?”

“Of course.”

“Begin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a short chapter. I tried my best to describe the throne room like it is in the movies.   
As for the sword, I thought it would be cool if she could fence, and she also gets a new weapon next chapter.  
Comment and leave kudos if you're enjoying this. I'm grateful for all the hits this is getting.  
See you next chapter.


	7. Chapter 6

Several hours later I was thoroughly tired and pissed off. I had lost, every single time. Mind you, each time I had lasted longer, but I was a bit of a sore loser. I sat drinking water, trying to strategize for the inevitable next round. 

“Put your blade away.”

Confused, but not wanting to question, I snapped my fingers and sent my blade to my room. I stood, waiting for instruction.

“For the final round, you will try to fight with these.” He presented me with two sickle blades. They were almost the shape of a crescent moon, with plain red-stained wood handles. “Dual sickles. Commonly used for the harvest, but also a terrifying weapon.” I looked closely at the weapons I now held, turning them over carefully. I had never worked with any weapon like this, let alone anything double-bladed.  
Still, studying them, I knew that I could wield them similar to how the king weld his own double blades. 

“Ready?” 

I gave a sharp nod in response, taking a starting stance.

“Begin.” 

He rushed at me, low to the ground, blades behind him. I had learned what came next. He always attacked the same. As he brought his right hand forward, I rotated my body and met his blade with my own crossed in a defensive position. I moved my hands apart, uncrossing the blades, and hoping to catch his in the process, knocking it out of his grip. Unfortunately for me, I stalled, giving him the time to read me and move. 

This time it was my turn to rush. I rushed at him, swinging in both blades. Big mistake. He blocked my swing on both sides with his knives. Before I had time to realize how unbalanced I had left myself, he pushed out against my blades, knocking me further off balance. I fell, rather unceremoniously, onto my butt, and looked up to find a dagger pointed at me.

Damn. I lost again. Pouting a little, I looked up to see the king’s outstretched hand. Catching the meaning, I quickly sent my blades away, then took the hand, which pulled me to my feet. Again, I felt a shock  
as we touched, but again I thought nothing of it. 

“For your first time fighting with that weapon, you are certainly well adept at it. I will teach you more on how to fight with them.”

I nodded, walking over to my water bottle, and taking a drink. “You know how to use them?” I asked.

“I have training in all manner of weapons, but am especially proficient in ones that are double-bladed,” came the simple response. I nodded again. It made sense as to why he would learn to fight with many weapons, being king. “You will meet me here at the 9th morning bell tomorrow. I will see you shortly in the feasting hall.” He walked past me, as I just stood there. I opened my mouth to say something, but he must have read the confusion on my face. “You do no know where that is do you?” I shook my head, blushing a little. “Follow me then.” Quickly grabbing my stuff, I followed behind him. 

As we walked, I did my best to try and remember the path we took. The trouble is, all the corridors and stone walls looked the same. Soon however, we reached an area I noticed was different, near the throne room. We walked past the throne room doors, to another set of large wooden doors. “You will go in here,” he said, pointing at the doors.

“And you?”

“Will be sitting on my throne.” I watched as his armor and crown magically appeared on his body, and then he disappeared.

I pushed open the doors and walked into the room. It was a large banquet hall, with long wooden tables pilled with food, and wood chairs to match. I had never been to the feasts. My parents had been to a few feasts and balls, but I never went with them. I was always told that I was not old enough to attend. The only times I had come to the court was when I first enrolled in the academy, and when I turned 18. That was two years ago, though. I wondered if the king remembered me from then, or if he had been there at all. 

Looking around the room, my eyes landed on three familiar faces, plus a third one I did not recognize. “Is this seat taken?” I asked, pointing at the empty seat near the figure I did not recognize.

“Lady Akay!” Fandral boomed. “Of course there is room for you. Come sit. Lady Akay this is Sif, a fine warrior.”

“It is an honor to me you,” I said, as I sat down next to her.

“The pleasure is mine. I have looked forward to meeting you since these three started mentioning you a few drinks ago.”

“I have not drunk that much!” all three practically said in unison. I laughed with Sif at their reaction.

As I laughed, I felt the draw to turn my head and look towards the front of the room. There, Loki sat on his throne, surveying the room. He made brief eye contact with me, then stood. Tapping his fork on a goblet he began to speak. “As many of you have no doubt heard, I have taken a student, a graduate of my Academy of Magic, under my wing. Miss Ekaterina Akay, top graduate of the academy. People began to clap, and he motioned for me to stand, which I did, doing a curtsy as best I could given the clothes I was wearing. “In four days’ time, there will be a feast hosted in Miss Akay’s honor.” There was applause again, and I blushed. “As my student, she is under my protection. I will not hear of any rumors or harm befalling her.” There was light applause, and he nodded at me, then sat down. 

“That’s quite the statement,” Sif remarked to me as I sat again.

“Indeed,” a new voice remarked. I turned, looking to see who had spoken. Behind me stood a woman, and a particularly busty one at that, with long blonde hair, wearing a green dress. “So you’re the new girl?” she remarked, taking my face in her hands. She scanned my face, looking for something. “Oh yes. This is going to be just perfect.” She released my face. “Forgive me. I am Amora, an enchantress, and  
goddess of romance.” She held out her hand to me.

“Ekaterina Akay,” I responded, shaking her hand. 

“I know who you are. The whole court does. But that doesn’t matter. You and I are going to be quite good friends.” And with that, she sauntered away.

“Be careful with that one,” Volstagg remarked. “She is often trouble.”

“What do you suppose she meant, saying something was going to be perfect?”

“Who knows,” replied Sif. “But I would not dwell on it. She may be a trouble maker but is never malicious.”

“Perhaps she was reading your love future. It is an ability of her’s that she had been known to use on more than one occasion.”

“Is that so?” I replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introducing Sif and Amora. I've decided to make Amora more friendly in this book than she often is in other books I've read. I think that, as the goddess of romance, she would want Loki and Ekaterina's love to grow and blossom.  
How about the fight scene? That scene took me a while to get right.  
Be sure to comment and give kudos if you're enjoying the book. Sorry for my slow update schedule.  
See you all next chapter.


	8. Chapter 7

I went to sleep that night wondering what Amora had meant by her statements. Had she really seen my love future? 

I woke to the first bell of the morning, the 7th bell. I rang for my maids and had them draw me a bath. Afterwards, they styled my hair into a braided bun and presented me with a breakfast of fruits and toast. I chose to dress in a white blouse with a green ribbon, and a blue denim skirt with built-in suspenders, and tennis shoes. I didn’t know if we would be doing magic training or physical training, so I chose to dress in something appropriate for either. 

I headed to the training grounds a bit early, preferring to be early rather than late. If anything, I could get a little extra practice on a dummy. The castle was pretty silent this early in the morning, though it wouldn’t be long now before that changed, and I knew that the servants had been up for hours long before me.

As I approached the training grounds, I could hear the sound of training. I peeked around the corner and saw King Loki. He had magically animated the dummies and was fighting about 5 of them. I could tell that he had been training for some time, as he was covered in sweat. I watched in awe as he quickly disposed of the dummies he was fighting. 

Vanishing his weapons, he dusted off his hands. “You know it’s rude to stare Ms. Akay.” 

I yelped in surprise. How did he know I was there?

“I could hear your thoughts,” he said answering my question. “They’re quite loud. Like your footsteps.” 

I rounded the corner, blushing. “I’m sorry for watching my king. It won’t happen again.”

“No need to apologize,” he stated. “It is natural for you to be curious. Plus, as you study my movements, it will aid you in your training.”

“Thank you,” I said, bowing. “You are too kind.”

As I rose from my bow, I could see that he had changed out of his training clothes. “Follow me,” he said, turning on his heel and walking away. I hurried after him, not wanting to be left behind in this maze of a castle. “Today we will work on magic training.” He stopped at the end of a hallway finally, then pushed open a set of doors.

I was in awe at the towers of books stretching up in all directions around me. I felt like I was in that scene from the old Midgardian film “Beauty and the Beast”. Sure, the Academy had a library and a very large one at that, but it did not compare to this. This was truly a royal library.

“Are you done gawking?” he said, bringing my focus back to reality. 

“Yes,” I mumbled.

“Good. Follow me.” He started off walking, and I followed behind him. “This library collection has been assembled over many thousands of years. There are texts from all the nine realms, and the far reaches of space.”

“Wow.”

“It is quite impressive. There is all sorts of knowledge in this library, and one could spend a lifetime reading every page.”

“You’ve read all of them haven’t you.”

He coughed at this. “Yes. Yes, I have. As I was saying, there is even a section in this library made up entirely of Midgardian fiction books. You, however, will be spending a lot of time in this part.” He stopped and moved aside so I could see. The shelves here were made of a different kind of wood, with runes engraved on them. “Each subject has its own type of shelves.”

“What are the runes for?”

“I am glad you noticed them. They read the handprint of whoever grabs a book. That way, if something goes missing, it can quickly be determined who has the missing book.”

“A security system then?”

“Precisely. Now,” he said, gesturing to a nearby table, “take a seat.” I sat at the table, and he sat next to me. “Though at some point I will go over the basics again with you, today is not that day. Today I will teach you about magical energies and bonds. Have you noticed the shock each time we touch?” He grabbed my hand in his, and there it was. 

“Yes.”

He exhaled, seemingly sighing in relief. “That is what happens when two strong magical energies meet.” I noticed as he continued to hold my hand, that I could feel almost a buzz in the air. “The buzz you feel is the connection. Right now, we are physically connected, but there is also a way to connect energies without being physically connected.” He released my hand, and I stiffened at the feeling that the loss of connection brought. 

“What is it?” 

“I will show you. But first, you must sense your energy.”

I nodded. “They showed us a little bit of that at the Academy, but never went in-depth.”

“Of course not,” he mumbled under his breath. “Close your eyes. You know that everything has energy. That is how we manipulate it with magic. Even in an empty room, there is the energy of the light, paint, walls, and floor. You get the idea?” I nodded. I had learned this much in the Academy. “You, like everything else, have this energy. That is how people perform magic on you, or how you use a glamor spell. To connect with another, you have to visualize this energy. Okay?” Again, I nodded. I didn’t want to speak and then ruin my concentration. “Imagine a field around you. Almost like a force field. What is its color? Its shape?” 

I tried to visualize. Eyes closed, I could feel my own energy. I tried to imagine it with more solid characteristics. I could see the shape of it, just a loose form around my body. The color? It was… “It’s orange.”

“Very good. I will say, it’s a bit early to worry about shapes. That comes later. Now, I am going to take your hand. I want you to stop your magic from connecting with mine. It may take a few tries, and it will help if you close your eyes.” 

“Okay.” I closed my eyes, ready. He grabbed my hand, and before I could do anything, I felt the orange mass rushing through me and towards him. I felt the shock and opened my eyes.

“I was expecting that for your first attempt. We’re you by chance able to visualize some of my energy?”

“Yeah.” I chuckled a bit. “It’s green.”

“Yes. Your energy tends to be the same as your favorite color. I suppose it is not too hard to guess what mine is. Now then, try again.” We went at it multiple times, and once I was almost successful. After a while had passed, I heard a bell sound 12 times. “I suppose it is about time for lunch. Give it one more try and then we can go eat. Ready?”

“Ready.” I closed my eyes, already aware of my energy before the touch even came. When he grabbed my hand, I felt our magic try and connect. I had learned that his energy was also trying to reach mine, but unlike me, he wasn’t trying to stop me. I imagined walls in my hand, around all the places he was touching me. Walls made of a strong material that wouldn’t crack, and that were high enough to stop the flood of magic. I felt the energy hit the walls, crashing up like a wave. Then, it settled. Had I done it? I didn’t dare to open my eyes.

“Ekaterina,” he spoke softly. “Open your eyes.” Slowly, I opened my eyes, to see him smiling at me. “You did it.” I felt pride bloom in my chest. I started to moved my fingers between his, when I realized what I was doing. Quickly, I pulled my hand away.

“Sorry,” I mumbled, looking at the ground and blushing. “I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep that up.”

“I understand, though there was no need. I had already stopped my own magic.” There were a few seconds of awkward silence, then he stood up. “Well, then. I think that will be all for today. No need to overexert yourself. I will show you to lunch, and then you will have the rest of the day to do as you see fit.”

“Thank you,” I said, standing as well. 

“Follow me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today we get a glimpse at some magic training. I'm putting my own twist on the magic energy/bond theme.  
Sorry for how long it took to update, but school keeps me busy.  
Let me know how I'm doing by leaving comments and kudos.  
See you next chapter. :)


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